


pretty in pink

by Marenke



Series: the quaren-fics [41]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Agender Character, Coming Out, F/F, Nail Polish, Pre-Relationship, Trans Female Character, yeah yeah zzz arashi trans we been knew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25582774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marenke/pseuds/Marenke
Summary: Arashi had come to Anzu on a rare moment where she was alone, enjoying the spring breeze. Shyly, almost too quiet to be heard, she’d asked if Anzu knew any place to get nail polish from.
Relationships: Anzu/Narukami Arashi
Series: the quaren-fics [41]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896019
Comments: 16
Kudos: 40





	pretty in pink

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to my favorite enstars kinnies this one is for yall

“So I have all these colors.” Anzu proudly displayed her collection of nail polish, all neatly stacked in a little plastic case, separated by color and shade in organized rows. Arashi looked at them, awe shining in her lilac eyes. “So, what do you prefer?”

Arashi thumbed through the colors, and Anzu let her take her time. Anzu’s own nails needed painting, too - the black color she’d chosen to celebrate Undead’s latest concert was already chipped at the edges -, so this was nice. She really needed to change the color: it was a simple aesthetic choice that really helped tie the entire thing together. 

Arashi had come to Anzu on a rare moment where she was alone, enjoying the spring breeze. Shyly, almost too quiet to be heard, she’d asked if Anzu knew any place to get nail polish from - and then, in an almost inaudible mutter, if Anzu could please use female pronouns with her.

She’d simply nodded, and asked if Arashi wouldn’t like to come to Anzu’s dorm to grab her set of nail polish and its related tools. Now here they stood, sitting in Anzu’s wrinkled bed, with the nail polish case between them.

“Is pink too…” A pause, biting her lower lip. “Stereotypical? Cliche?”

“No, I think it’s perfect for you.” Anzu smiled, and then clapped her hands together. “I know! How do you feel if we had matching nails? I have to paint mine Ra*bits’ color for their next event, but we could have a pinky on each others color. What do you think?”

Arashi’s cheeks filled with color, but she nodded, and grabbed from the case a pretty pink, putting it in Anzu’s hand, fingers curled around it as if it would disappear if she let it go. Anzu looked at the tiny bottle -  _ Pretty In Pink  _ written in bubble lettering in a soft pink, against an off-white background -, the glitter shining gently in the low light of her bedroom. She set it aside, grabbed the Ra*bits blue nail polish to paint Arashi’s pinky, and started working on her nails.

It was boring, repetitive work: clean the nails, trim cuticles, base nail polish, and _only_ after the entire ritual she started applying the coats of the nail polish Arashi had chosen, pink glitter shining in every nail, except the one in her pinky, where pale blue stood out. She was on the third coat when she spoke up.

“Sorry it isn’t more exciting.” 

“You don’t mind that I am a girl?” 

Anzu and Arashi looked at each other as soon as their sentences had left their mouths, both speaking at the same time by accident. Anzu laughed, and Arashi averted her eyes for a moment. She gestured for Arashi to speak, and went back to painting her nails: maybe Arashi felt safer if no one was looking at her.

“I…” Arashi started, slowly weaving words together. Anzu let her have her time. “You’re the first person who accepted it, no questions asked. I mean, I have told no one but you so far, but…”

Arashi’s phrase died off, and Anzu gently blowed on her nails, before trying to root out the nail polish dryer spray she had somewhere. The loud _clack clack clack_ of vial against vial resounded in the silent room before her hands found the needed item.

“Gender’s complicated.” She said, popping the cap open. “Hold your breath for a moment.”

Arashi nodded, cheeks puffing, and Anzu sprayed it. She waved the excess away, and gave Arashi a thumb’s up to let her know she could breathe.

“As I was saying, gender’s complicated. I don’t think most people got one. At least I don’t.” She grabbed a nail polish again, this time a top coat to make them shine in concert lights. “I mean, it’s just a set of pronouns, who cares, right? But  _ you  _ do. You have a preference. Speak up, and if people don’t accept you, let me know because I’ll make it my problem.”

There was silence from Arashi as Anzu finished her nails.

“Anzu, most people  _ do  _ have some sort of gender identity.” She rose her head, and Arashi had a faint blush on her cheeks. “And thanks for having my back.”

“Really? Good for them.” Anzu shrugged. She didn’t think about gender, and really, it was of no concern to her: she was too busy working to wonder if other people had gender or no. “Besides, it’s not a problem. You’re my friend, and that’s what friends do for each other.”

Arashi blushed more, and Anzu held her hand for a while longer, looking for mistakes as she took off the excess nail polish with a stick and some cotton soaked in nail polish remover.

“I’d offer to put in some rhinestones, but they wouldn’t even show in the gloves.” Anzu huffed, and Arashi laughed, a gentle sound. “Unless you want them.”

She looked around her case again: if Anzu recalled correctly, there were some leftovers from the Trickstar nail art she did.

“Maybe next time? This is already as nerve-wracking as it is.” Arashi laughed again, but with a note of anxiety. Anzu held her hand tight, carefully. The top coat dried quickly, sure, but she still didn’t want to risk it smudging. “Again, thanks, Anzu.”

“No problem.” Arashi’s smile was too pretty to be real. Anzu could feel her cheeks heating. “Do you want to paint my nails?”

Arashi’s eyes shone.

“I’d love to!” She looked around the tools Anzu had left around the bed, and grabbed them delicately. “I might not be very good, but I’ll try.”

Anzu looked at Arashi for a long moment. Arashi’s brows, furled in concentration, did not seem to notice her stare. She could feel the softness of Arashi’s hands holding her own, the sweet smell of her shampoo from her hair. Lavender and vanilla, maybe?

“Arashi, can I kiss you?” Anzu asked, and soon enough a long strip of nail polish found the way to the back of her hand. She looked up, blushing a vivid red. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“No, no, I want to! It’s just… Too fast?” She grabbed the cotton pads, soaking it in nail polish remover, before gently scrubbing her mistake away. “Could we, maybe, go on a date before?”

Anzu smiled. 

“Sure. Just say the time and I’ll be there.” Arashi smiled, so pretty, and Anzu smiled back. She could barely wait.


End file.
